This Girl Can Suffolk - Getting Active With A Disability
A presentation at Suffolk Inspiring Women - This Girl Can Suffolk Ambassadors in in Ipswich, UK by Ruth Cheesley
This Girl Can Suffolk Getting Active With A Disability RUTH CHEESLEY @ RC H E E S L E Y / @T R A I N I N G W I T H E D S
14 years in 2 minutes! 2008 A whistle-stop tour of how I came to be where I am today. @ RC H E E S L E Y / @T R A I N I N G W I T H E D S Diagnosed with EDS two years previous, but largely asymptomatic. Playing hockey for a local team, teaching expedition and adventure training in DofE Award, and generally doing OK. Serious health crash, signed off work for a month and unable to get back to work full t i m e . S eve re p a i n and crippling fatigue. 2010 2012 Health continuing to deteriorate, stuck in a constant cycle of boom and bust. Ever increasing amounts of pain medication just to function. Had to stop hockey, hill walking, just about everything I loved doing.
Started to use a wheelchair in an attempt to break the boom and bust c yc l e . N e e d e d t o strengthen my upper b o d y, so a bodybuilder friend offered to coach me over Skype/YouTube videos. My first coach! Found a trainer who worked with people who had disabilities. Gradually built my confidence, fitness and strength. 2016 Ran my first 5k and 10k, and joined the Ve g a n Ru n n e r s running club. 2020 2022 BEST YEAR YET! 2014 Recovering from a minor car accident, started intensive physio with AHP S u f fo l k . G r a d u a te d through all the classes, into their open gym. Gave me confidence that I could train safely without flaring/ injuring myself. 2018 @ RC H E E S L E Y / @T R A I N I N G W I T H E D S Continued to grow in c o n f i d e n c e . Followed My Peak Challenge and started to really get i n t o s t re n g t h a n d conditioning training, which seemed to have very positive impact on EDSrelated problems. Training for my first ultra marathon at Endure24 Reading in June. Focusing on strength training to support my joints and body. Working more positively with mental states.
TA K E T H E F I R S T S T E P START WHERE YOU ARE ✴ What am I capable of right now? ✴ What do I want to be able to do that I can’t do right now? ✴ What conditions do I need to put in place for that to happen? ✴ What one thing could I do today that will help me to move forward toward my goals? @ RC H E E S L E Y / @T R A I N I N G W I T H E D S
FIND YOUR PEOPLE GET SUPPORT ✴ Who can I be accountable to on this journey? ✴ How can I modify to meet my ability? ✴ Who will walk this path beside me? ✴ Who else has gone before me, what can they teach me? @ RC H E E S L E Y / @T R A I N I N G W I T H E D S
ALL IS MIND-MADE WORK WITH YOUR MENTAL STATES ✴ How do my thoughts about my condition hold me back? ✴ How do I face failure and disappointment? ✴ What am I doing to bring about positivity in my life? @ RC H E E S L E Y / @T R A I N I N G W I T H E D S
B E A PA R T O F S O M E O N E E L S E ’ S J O U R N E Y SHARE YOUR JOURNEY ✴ Find your safe space / your people ✴ Share and celebrate your successes ✴ Also share your challenges - we all have them! @ RC H E E S L E Y / @T R A I N I N G W I T H E D S
THIS GIRL CAN SUFFOLK AMBASSADOR RUTH CHEESLEY (she/her) What questions can I answer? ruth@cheesley.me.uk noti.st/rcheesley for slides, recording, links and resources. @ RC H E E S L E Y / @T R A I N I N G W I T H E D S
Taking the first steps toward getting healthy when you have a disability or a long term condition can be quite daunting.
In this short 10 minute session I’ll explain my journey, and share four things I’ve learned from my own battle to regain my health and wellbeing over the last 12 years.
Resources
The following resources were mentioned during the presentation or are useful additional information.
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This Girl Can Suffolk
Fear of judgement, lacking confidence, not having enough time - there are a whole host of practical and emotional barriers that prevent many women and girls from being more active. This Girl Can reminds women and girls that there is no ‘right way’ of getting active - if it gets your heart rate up, it counts! So whether it’s cycling to work, literally running the school run, or getting muddy in the park, This Girl Can aims to celebrate all of the amazing ways that women manage to fit exercise into their busy lives.
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Natalija Dolgova
My current trainer helping me push my boundaries and train for my first ultramarathon in June!
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Vegan Runners UK
Vegan Runners is a UK-wide athletics club full of beautiful, compassionate runners of all levels of ability. We promote a healthy, performance-enhancing, cruelty-free lifestyle to runners and encourage vegans to take up running. Vegan Runners UK is affiliated to England Athletics and British Triathalon.
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AHP Suffolk
A great team of Allied Health Professionals who helped me get back on my feet after a car accident and got me confident with physical activity again. Forever grateful for their awesome service, which I continue to use if I have acute injuries.
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Frank Delventhal
Frank was the first person to offer me help with improving my strength when I was struggling to self-propel in my wheelchair. He’s an amazing strongman and a totally awesome human being. Website in German but he speaks fluent English. Really amazing coach and all-round good guy.
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Dilly’s Personal Training
My first personal trainer based in Suffolk, Sam really met me where I was and helped me to grow my confidence, get my fitness and strength back, and started me on the path to enjoying exercise again.
